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Pitaah (Action Movie ,2001)  Starring
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Synopsis
Mahesh Manjrekar’s next film “Pitaah” is the story of the strife torn mazdoor (Sanjay Dutt) and a proud zamindar (Om
Puri).
Set in the rural backdrop the film is the daring tale of a common man’s determination to fight any form of subjugation and his
fortitude to go on despite all the odds to fend for his family – which includes a loving wife (played by Nandita Das) and two
children.
Oppressed by all and sundry the poor <>mazdoor is compelled to take the law in his hands to ensure the sustenance of his family.
For the first time brawny Sanjay Dutt is seen as a village simpleton wearing a dhoti. Jackie Shroff appears in a cameo as a
good-hearted police inspector.
Through a single story film’s director Mahesh Manjrekar brings to light the issues of caste system and women subjugation. At the same
time he takes a serious peek into the magnanimous and mellow heart of a loving father.
Review
Rudra (Sanjay Dutt) and his wife Paro (Nandita Das) live happily along with their nine-year-old daughter Durga and two sons Luv and
Kush in a small feudal village called Shikarpur in North India. The inhabitants of this village have suffered at the hands of their
despotic zamindar Thakur Awadh Narayan Singh (Om Puri).
Thakur Awadh Narayan Singh is blinded by his power and inculcates in his two notorious sons Bachchu and Bhola the bacchanalian traits
of alcohol and women.
Once, while the Thakur revels in the mujra at his Shikarpur haveli, Bhola and Bachchu head for Rampur to visit the new
girl (Mink) in the brothel. On their way back to Shikarpur, Bhola and Bachchu chance upon a new prey – the nine-year-old Durga. The
young Thakurs take their turns to ravish Rudra’s daughter.
When Rudra comes to know about the outrage, he seeks legal redress. With substantial evidence, he gets Bhola and Bachchu arrested. But
when the rich and powerful Thakur pulls the strings, bribes the local daroga (Jackie Shroff) Bhola and Bachchu go scot-free.
That forces an otherwise meek Rudra to take up arms against his oppressors. Rest of the film is about Rudra’s struggle to seek justice
for his minor daughter and make the notorious thakurs pay the price.
While Mahesh Manjrekar maintains the film’s focus on the father, his fight for justice and his revenge, he doesn’t explore the
father-son relationship in the film but for a few touching moments in the songs. Besides, there seems to be a lot of unnecessary
violence in the film.
Even some songs in the film break the narrative flow and seem to have been put deliberately to lend some zing to the story. An
instance is the mujra song in the police station that shows Jackie and the two Thakurs lost in their drinking revelry while Rudra goes
about stalking them.
Clad in a darned kurta and dhoti, Sanjay Dutt looks convincing playing the poor mazdoor who dares to avenge his minor daughter’s rape
at the hands of despotic Thakurs. On the other hand, the talented Nandita Das seems to have been wasted in a role that doesn’t give
her much chance to show her histrionic prowess.
One actor who impresses is veteran Om Puri. His virile dialogue delivery and enormous emotive range make him a good choice to play the
despotic Thakur.